12 Days of Captain Swan
by starrnobella
Summary: A holiday countdown of Christmas song inspired Captain Swan fluffy, Christmas fun as we lead up to Christmas 2019.
1. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays

**A/N: **Happy Holidays, Captain Swan fans! I know I promised this mini collection two years ago, but I have been a little busy with some of the other pieces that I have been writing. This year during NaNo, I finished my main projects and then remembered that I had started working on this collection and already had the songs picked out, so why not start writing?

This first story was inspired by Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays as performed by *NSYNC. I have created a Spotify playlist for this collection of drabbles as well and if you're interested I can send you the link. Each story is not perfectly fitting of the song, but there is some influence of each song that the title comes from.

Hopefully, you enjoy this little tale as well as the other 11 stories that will come from now until Christmas Eve.

Grammarly was my beta for this piece as the holiday season is a busy time for all writers.

Be sure to let me know what you think and continue to check out the rest of these tales!

Love always,  
~starr

* * *

Killian looked around at their living room from the entryway. The room was decorated from the floor to the ceiling, and in the middle of the room stood a glorious Christmas decked out with lights and nautical ornaments. Emma had gone out of her way to make sure that the Christmas decorations appealed to his tastes. Not that it really mattered; anything that Emma put her heart and soul into made him smile.

"Speaking of Emma," he mumbled to himself, looking back over his shoulder. Robin, Neal, Charming, Roland, and Henry were hanging out near the kitchen. Snow and Regina were seated at the island in the kitchen, each enjoying a cup of coffee. However, his beautiful wife was nowhere to be seen.

Taking the opportunity afforded him with everyone chatting amongst themselves, Killian made his way upstairs towards the nursery. As he rounded the corner at the top of the stairs, he heard the faint humming of a familiar lullaby. He glanced down at the watch on his wrist and realized that Hope would be waking up from her nap any minute now. Emma probably just wanted to be the first face she saw when she woke up, rather than her being awoken by the controlled chaos that was about to happen downstairs.

Everyone had promised to wait until she was awake to start the Christmas celebrations, and now things could get started. Killian walked to the door of the nursery and saw Emma leaning over the edge of the crib, looking down at their daughter. He leaned up against the doorframe for a few moments as he listened to her hum. What he thought was a lullaby wasn't as he expected. He couldn't quite place the name of the song, but the melody was soothing all the same.

With a smile, he walked away from the doorframe and snuck up behind his beautiful wife. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. "What song is that, love?"

"A Christmas song I used to listen to when I lived in the city. What are you doing up here?" Emma asked, leaning her head back to rest it on his shoulder.

"Everyone had started to gather in the living room, but two significant people were missing around the fireplace," Killian said, tilting his head down to rest it against hers. "Should we wake her?"

Emma shook her head. "Not yet. I like watching her sleep."

"Aye, me too."

They stood, wrapped up in one another's arms looking down at their daughter, each of them with a smile beaming brightly from their faces. This was perfection, and if asked, both Emma and Killian would have said that this was the perfect way to spend the holidays. Just the three of them in calm serenity, with a roaring fire and the snow falling outside.

A few moments later, the soft moans of a waking baby caught both of their attention. Emma smiled and reached down, picking baby Hope up out of the crib and cuddling her against her chest. She placed a gentle hand on the back of the baby's head and rocked her slowly side to side.

"I'm gonna change her diaper, and then the two of us right down," Emma said, leaning forward to kiss him before walking over to the changing table and setting Hope down.

Killian nodded and made his way back downstairs, where he was met by Snow and Regina, getting ready to head upstairs.

"Where's Emma?" Snow asked, smiling at Killian as he made his way down the steps.

"Hope just woke up from her nap, so she and Emma will be down shortly. Why don't we all gather in the living room?" Killian suggested.

Snow and Regina looked at one another and shrugged, nodding their heads. They led the way into the living room and gathered everyone else. After a few short moments, Emma appeared in the living room, with Hope in her arms.

She found a place on the couch to sit down and set Hope in her lap so that she could see all of the action as it happened. Killian took a seat beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Emma leaned back into his arms and looked back at him over her shoulder with a smile.

"Who's ready for presents?" Charming asked, walking over to the Christmas tree and started passing out the presents to everyone. "Merry Christmas, everyone!"

Emma and Killian looked around the room at the family that had gathered here. There was no better way to spend the holidays than with family.


	2. All I Want for Christmas isa RealGoodTan

**A/N: **Day number 2 of 12 Days of Captain Swan is upon us and I'm back with another short little story!

The second story was inspired by All I Want for Christmas is a Real Good Tan as performed by Kenny Chesney. I have created a Spotify playlist for this collection of drabbles as well and if you're interested I can send you the link. Each story is not perfectly fitting of the song, but there is some influence of each song that the title comes from.

Hopefully, you enjoy this little tale as well as the other 10 stories that will come from now until Christmas.

Grammarly was my beta for this piece as the holiday season is a busy time for all writers.

Hope these stories are putting you in the Christmas spirit!

Love always,  
~starr

* * *

Emma looked around the station at the Christmas decorations that Ruby and Granny had hung up during the town decoration day. As much as she loved the holiday and family time spent together, she wasn't in the mood to celebrate this year. She just wanted to run away to somewhere warm and spend Christmas morning with her toes in the sand.

With that idea in mind, she turned to the computer on her desk and started to do some research on places that she could possibly run away to over the next few days. Storybrooke could survive without their Sheriff for a few days, right? Even when she wasn't available, they would be able to get ahold of David or Regina if something were to go wrong. She deserved a vacation.

"Where are we going, love?" Killian asked, placing a hand on her shoulder as he looked down at her screen. "And when do we leave?"

"What do you think about Christmas Eve?" Emma asked, turning the chair toward him and tilting her head back to look him in the eye. She saw a smile form on his face, but it quickly faded away.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? What about your parents' Christmas Eve party?" he questioned, furrowing his brow as he looked down at her.

"I'm sure they'd be okay if we missed this one Christmas Eve party. Don't you think we deserve a vacation?" Emma pleaded, leaning back in her chair as she took a deep breath. "All I want for Christmas this year is a tan."

"Spending Christmas Day with my toes in the sand does sound like a wonderful idea," Killian murmured. He thought about the possible reactions from everyone in town about the two of them taking a Christmas vacation, but no one could deny that they hadn't earned a chance to getaway.

"So I should keep looking at places to get away to?" she asked, batting her lashes as she smiled up at him.

"Aye, love," he replied, leaning down and placing a kiss on her forehead. "And then you can tell your parents we won't be home for Christmas at dinner tonight."

"Why do I have to tell them?" Emma whined, leaning back toward her desk and reached for her mouse to continue her scrolling.

"Well, number one," you're their daughter," Killina explained. "And number two, it was your idea."

Glaring at him over her shoulder, Emma sighed and hung her head. He was entirely right, but there was a plus side to all of this. Because it was her idea, it meant that she got to pick the tropical vacation that they headed to.

Scrolling down the page, a location finally caught her eye. "That's it," she announced, spinning around in her chair and jumping up to wrap her arms around Killian's neck.

"What's it, love?" Killian asked, wrapping his arms around her waist, squeezing her tight.

"We're going to Turks and Caicos for Christmas," she replied happily, pressing up on her tiptoes and kissing him softly. "We'll both be getting a tan for Christmas this year."


	3. Where are you, Christmas?

**A/N: **I'm back with Day 3 of 12, and hopefully I'll be able to continue with daily updates. I'm currently without a laptop until Dec. 18th, so I'm doing what I can with my other technology that's available. Needless to say it's been a bit tough.

This story was inspired by Where are you, Christmas? as performed by Faith Hill from the How the Grinch Stole Christmas soundtrack. Grammarly was my beta for this piece, so any mistakes you find are my own.

Happy Sunday! Only four and a half more work days until I'm on Christmas break. I can't wait.

Love always,  
~starr

* * *

Emma Swan was alone.

Well, she wasn't alone, but she certainly felt that way as she continued to bounce from foster home to foster home. She couldn't figure out why no one seemed to want to adopt her and make her a part of their family. It was bad enough that her own parents didn't want her when she was a baby, and now it seemed like no one else wanted her either.

Looking out the window in her current foster home, she noticed the snow starting to fall outside. It was lying on the ground, and it looked like the perfect snow to go outside and have a snowball fight. It was too bad that no one wanted here would be willing to go out and play with her. Especially now that Lily was gone.

Christmas was probably her least favorite time of the year. She would go out shopping with her foster mom and see all these families out together having a good time, and it just reminded her of the fact that she didn't have one of those. It was depressing, so she tried her best not to think about it.

With a sigh, she glanced at the notepad on the table next to the window. She rolled her eyes as she thought about the simple request that her foster mother had asked her to do.

"Write your letter to Santa and tell him what you want. Even if you don't know what else to say, just let him know that you're checking in," Ingrid told her.

It was a joke. There was no way that Santa could bring her what she wanted. What she wanted was her family to want her and be happy to see her. The whole idea of Christmas just seemed like a joke to her because she knew that as the new year came around, she'd be leaving to go to yet another foster family because this family would be ready for someone younger to come along.

Santa didn't care what she wanted. Christmas wasn't coming this year, so why did it matter what she wanted?

. . . . . . . . . .

Emma looked around at the crowd that was gathered in her living room and smiled as she felt the baby on her lap, wiggle around because she wanted more attention. This was the family that she always wanted as she reminisced about her days in foster care. All of those times that she felt unwanted and alone like no one out there was listening to her; someone really was out there keeping an eye out for the family she wanted all along.

This was what Christmas was all about. A home filled with love and family, making everyone feel as though they were loved and wanted. The perfect Christmas present for everyone was time spent with family.

It was nice to know that deep down, Christmas and her family had never abandoned her. They were just looking for the perfect moment to reunite and add to the joy that was already there. Looking at all of the smiling faces, Emma knew that this was the answer to the unsent letter that her foster mother made her write all those years ago.


	4. Santa Tell Me

**A/N: **Day 4 brings us to the Storybrooke Town Christmas party and one of my favorite stories that I have written for this little collection.

Today's story was inspired by the song Santa Tell Me as performed by Arianna Grande. I think this was one of the first stories that I completed while writing for this collection, so I do hope I did this song justice.

Grammarly was the beta as usual for these stories because it's a crazy time of year for all.

Be sure to let me know what you think!

Love always,  
~starr

* * *

Emma watched as Killian made his way around the Christmas celebration in Granny's. He was laughing and chatting with everyone in the room, flashing them his signature smile and making them all fall in love with him. His happiness was contagious, and so was his smile.

However, all she could think about was the fact that there was a chance that he might not feel the same way about her. She could feel herself falling more and more in love with him each and every day. That feeling terrified her. She hadn't felt that way since Neal, and that story didn't have the happy ending that she always hoped it would have.

She continued to watch as he made his way around the room. Emma glanced down at the hot cocoa in her hands when she noticed him looking at her briefly. She felt her cheeks flush briefly, and she reached up to tuck a strand of her golden locks behind her ear nervously. Turning her head slightly to the right, she noticed that he was walking toward her booth.

"You've got to be kidding me," she mumbled under her breath before lifting her head and plastering a smile on her face. Within a few moments, Killian Jones slid into her booth and flashed her his pearly whites.

"Having a good time, Swan?" he asked, resting his elbow on the table as he leaned up against the wall at the far end of the booth.

"Absolutely," she replied, wrapping her hands around the mug of cocoa. "What about you, Jones?"

"Aye," he replied with a nod. "It would be better if the cocoa had a splash of rum in it, however."

"I'm shocked you haven't spiked yours," she laughed, raising a brow at him as a smirk pulled at the corner of her lips.

Killian tossed his head back with a laugh and shook his head. "I thought about it, but I thought the Shieff might have something negative to say about the Deputy Sheriff coming to the town Christmas party intoxicated or spiking the drinks."

"The Sheriff probably would have told you to share your stash," Emma said.

"Oh, really now?" Killian asked, raising a brow as he laughed. "What would you say if I told you had some rum stashed away in my room upstairs?"

"I'd say you're bold to think I'd sneak away upstairs with you when the whole town is watching," Emma replied, swallowing slowly as she pushed her nerves to the side. Her heart started to race at his invitation and was begging her to say yes and go with him; however, as she glanced around the room and saw the faces of people who knew her too well.

"Well, just let me know if you are ever interested the offer doesn't have an expiration date," Killian said with a wink. He slid out of the booth and left Emma alone to think over his offer. Part of him was hoping that she would take him up on her offer, or at least meet him under the mistletoe so that he could finally ask her out on a proper date.

As much as he loved to make a large production of romantic gestures, Killian wanted this moment to be something special just between the two of them. He didn't want her to say yes because she felt obligated to say yes. He wanted her to say yes because she wanted to say yes, and she felt about him how he felt about her.

Emma watched as Killian walked away from the table. Letting out a heavy sigh, she cradled her head in her hands and allowed the mind racing to begin. She had a flood of emotions running through her body, and she wasn't sure which emotions she needed to listen to. If she was honest with herself, she had never felt this way about someone before, so she was treading in uncharted territory.

"What's wrong?"

Snow's voice caught her off guard, and she peaked at her through her fingers. Shaking her head, Emma lowered her hands from her face and smiled at her mother. "Absolutely nothing."

"You're lying," Snow replied, crossing her arms in front of her on the table. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just have a lot on my mind," Emma replied, shrugging her shoulders as she lifted her hot cocoa to her lips and took a sip. She hummed softly at the delicious cinnamon twist that Granny had added to the batch.

"Maybe you need to tell Santa what you want for Christmas this year," Snow suggested, taking a sip of her own cocoa.

"I'm not going to sit on Santa's lap," Emma grumbled, setting her mug down on the table. "Especially since Santa is my dad, and that would just be awkward."

"Why would it be awkward? It might help you figure out your crazy mind and give you an idea of how to sort out those feelings you've been harboring for a certain man with a hook," Snow suggested, glancing over at Killian and Santa out of the corner of her eye.

Emma followed her gaze and saw the two men talking. What were those to up to? With a sigh, she slid out of her booth. If she didn't do as her mother had suggested, then she'd never hear the end of it.

She waited for Killian to walk away from Santa. She watched as he made his way out into the cold. The snow had started to fall earlier, so she was confident that it was rather chilly out there. With a puzzled look on her face, Emma looked out the window to see what he was doing, but couldn't see anything. Shaking her head, she decided it was time for her to sit on Santa's lap. She rolled her eyes at the thought, but she knew her parents well enough that if she didn't do this right, she wouldn't get the answers she was looking for.

Painting a smile on her face, Emma walked up to Santa's chair and placed her hand on the back of the chair. "Hello, Santa."

Dave turned his head to look up at his daughter. "Hello, little girl. Would you like to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what you'd like for Christmas?"

Emma grimaced but forced the smile to remain on her face. "Do I have to sit on your lap? Are you sure I can't just whisper what I want in your ear?"

"The magic doesn't work the same when you're standing," Santa replied, chuckling as he patted his lap for her to take a seat.

Emma sighed and took a seat on his lap. "I can't believe you are making me do this."

Santa shrugged. "It was your mother's idea so that you can blame her for that. Now, whisper what you want for Christmas in Old Santa's ear."

Emma leaned forward and rested her forehead against the side of Santa's head. "I want to know if Killian really cares about me and plans on staying around for the long haul."

Santa nodded his head slowly. "Ah, I see. My suggestion would be to make your way outside to the trellis that reveals the entryway to Granny's. The answer to your question may be found there."

Leaning back, Emma furrowed her brow at him and received a shrug in response. She sighed and pushed up off his lap, and started toward the door. Hopefully, no one would notice that the Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff were nowhere to be found in the party for a few moments. With one last quick glance around the party, Emma opened the door and slipped outside.

Slowly she walked over to the trellis looking around for Killian or anyone who could be waiting in the shadows. As she reached the trellis, she hadn't seen anyone. She sighed and rolled her eyes as she leaned up against the side of the fencing. "Jones, if you're out here, could you make yourself known? It's cold, and I'd rather be inside where it's warm."

"I'd be happy to keep you warm if you'd let me, love," Killian replied, appearing from the shadows. He stepped beneath the trellis right in front of where she was leaning. Opening his arms, he offered a hug to keep her warm.

With an eyebrow raised, Emma stepped into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he fell into place at her waist. "What's your game, Jones?"

"I'm not playing a game, Emma," he said, looking down at her with a smile on his face.

As Emma looked up, she caught sight of the small bough of mistletoe hanging above their heads. She rolled her eyes and leaned back slightly and nodded at the mistletoe with her head. "So you didn't hang mistletoe in the trellis and then convince Santa to send me out here so you could trap me underneath it?"

"It wasn't my idea, but now that we're here," Killian said, pausing momentarily as he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. Their eyes fluttered shut as the kiss deepened.

Emma tilted her head to the side as Killian slipped his tongue into her mouth. Their embrace tightening as their tongues wrestled for dominance. They remained like that for a few moments until finally, they needed to come up for air.

She rested her forehead against Killian's as she caught her breath. She needed to ask him how he felt about her before she allowed herself to fall entirely head over heels in love with him, only to have her heartbroken when he decided to leave her behind.

As she opened her mouth to say something, she was quickly cut off.

"Emma, will you be my date to the town New Year's Eve celebration?" Killian blurted out, his cheeks flushing with color for a split second.

"Only if you take me to dinner tomorrow night," Emma replied, her cheeks flushing as well.

"Deal," Killian replied, leaning down to press his lips to hers once more.

Something in his kiss told her deep down that Killian would be staying around for the long haul and that Santa had granted her Christmas wish this year.


	5. Baby, It's Cold Outside

**A/N: **Day 5 brings us to one of my favorite Christmas songs, regardless of the bad rap that it gets. This story was inspired by Baby, It's Cold Outside as performed by Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson.

We are almost to the halfway of this fun little countdown and I'm so excited by all the love that I've gotten from everyone on these stories. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the kindness.

Grammarly has been my beta for this piece as well as all of my others lately.

Love always,  
~starr

* * *

"Love, it's freezing out there, just look at the snow falling," Killian insisted, walking up behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist as he stood behind her at the window. It had been snowing for the better part of an hour now in Storybrooke, and it didn't look to be easing up anytime soon.

Emma rested her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath. As tempting as it may have been for her to stay right where she was, she knew that she had to get home. It was Christmas Eve, and she was expected to be at the Charming household bright and early the next morning.

"I can't stay tonight," Emma said, exhaling sharply as she stepped away from his embrace and walked over to gather her belongings. "As much as I'd love to stay, I really can't. I'm expected home for Christmas."

"Your parents live just around the corner from here. It'll take you less time to get there tomorrow morning if you stay the night than if you go home," Killian replied, raising an eyebrow as he watched the temptation pull her closer and closer to saying yes.

He watched as she worried her lip and glanced out the window. It was starting to snow heavily, and it would be safer for her to stay the night, but she could already hear the whispers that would be flowing through town when people saw her leave here in the morning. Rumors roared through Storybrooke like wildfire, and the last name that she wanted to be on their lips was hers.

"Come on, love. Just stay for one more drink. I'm sure the snow will let up by then, and you'll be able to get home safe. If not, there's always an open pillow for you on my bed," he said, winking at her before taking a step towards her and wrapping an arm around her waist.

Emma sighed and nodded her head, leaning forward to press her lips to his. "One more drink. Then I really need to get going."

"One more drink," Killian mused, kissing her once more and then pulling her towards the kitchen. He poured each of them another glass of wine and handed Emma her's. He raised his glass to hers to cheers.

Emma raised her's in fashion and smiled coyly at him. She knew exactly what he was trying to do, and if she was honest with herself, it was working. The longer she stayed in his apartment, the more reasons she was able to come up with to stay there rather than returning home.

"To a night of snowfall and good company," Killian said, clinking his glass to hers. They smiled at one another, and each took a sip of the wine. He extended his hook to her, which she took and followed him back into the living room and took a seat on the couch beside him.

Emma placed her glass down on the end table and tucked her feet underneath her as she leaned an elbow on the back of the couch. She turned to look at Killian and laughed softly when she realized that he had already been looking at her.

He reached out and cupped her cheek, pulling her face closer to his. His lips parted slightly as they pressed into hers, kissing her gently. He slid his tongue along the seam of her lips, asking permission to enter, which was quickly granted by Emma sliding her tongue along Killian's.


	6. Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

**A/N:** We have hit the halfway mark of this collection meaning that we are yet another day closer to the Christmas holiday.

Day 6 of 12 is inspired by the song Meet Me Under the Mistletoe as performed by Randy Travis. I love this song and it's one of my favorites to listen to this time of year. I had a lot of fun writing this piece because I got to write the more playful side of these two beloved characters.

Hopefully you enjoy this little tale and the rest of the stories that I've got coming. So long as I get the last two I'm working on written!

Love always,  
~starr

* * *

Emma looked around the living room of her parents' small apartment and smiled. While the space was small, they had managed to turn into a place that feels like home. Part of her felt guilty that she and Killian had been living in a house while her parents lived in an apartment, but every time she brought it up to Snow, she was told not to worry about it. They loved their small apartment because it allowed them to live their lives in the way that they would have with Emma had the curse never existed.

There were stockings hung on the fireplace and a Christmas tree filling the space in the corner, waiting to be decorated when the entire family got there. Regina, Robin, Roland, and Henry were supposed to be on their way, but no one had heard from them since the night before. The plan was to finish decorating the tree and icing sugar cookies. Then the family would gather around the fireplace as Killian, Charming, and Robin read Twas the Night Before Christmas. Robin, Henry, and baby Neal would most likely fall asleep in the living room and needed to be carried off to bed. Everyone else would find a place to sleep for the night somewhere in the apartment so they could all be together on Christmas morning.

Emma was grateful for the traditions that they were able to build. Being a blended family as they were, it was essential to include everyone in as many traditions as they could so that no one would feel left out. It also showed Robin and Henry the real importance of having family around when both of them were missing their deceased parents. Although, Regina and Killian were doing an excellent job as the stepparents they both needed.

"Emma," Snow called from the loft. "Can you give me a hand?"

"I'll be right there," Emma replied, making her way from the kitchen to the bottom of the stairs to the loft. She glanced up the stairs and saw a small pile of boxes sitting at the top of the stairs — the rest of the decorations. Rolling her eyes at the ridiculous amount of stuff, Emma made quick work of the stairs and picked up a box before turning to head back downstairs.

"That one goes in the kitchen," Snow announced as she grabbed another box and joined Emma in her trip down the stairs. Walking into the kitchen, they both placed their boxes on the counter before repeating the trip a few times to gather the rest of them.

"Are you sure you have enough decorations?" Emma asked, chuckling softly as she placed the last box on the couch before collapsing beside the box. She rested her arms on the box as she watched Snow start to open a few of the boxes that they had placed in the living room.

"You can never have too many decorations for Christmas," Snow insisted, pulling a few items out of the box. One of the things she found was a bough of mistletoe. She glanced up at Emma and smiled. "Where do you think we should put this? I want to catch as many people as possible."

"The front door is too obvious," Emma said, stroking her chin softly as she looked around the apartment. "What if we put it in the entryway to the kitchen? People will be in and out of there all night to get food and drinks, so you are going to catch at least a handful of us."

"I'm sure some people will even plot to be caught under the mistletoe a few times, just to have an excuse to kiss each other in front of the rest of the family," Snow replied with a wink.

"I know you aren't referring to Killian and I. We would never do that," Emma said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I didn't say any names," Snow hummed. "But it wouldn't be the first time you've made that argument. Last year you two got caught under the mistletoe how many times?"

"No one was keeping count," Emma replied, rolling her eyes as she opened the box sitting beside her.

"We got caught under the mistletoe seven times last year. I plan to beat that record this year," Killian chimed in, walking into the living room with David in tow.

"You aren't helping," Emma shouted, glaring at him over her shoulder. "And we are not trying to beat that record. If we get caught under the mistletoe, then we get caught."

"We," Killian said, pointing between the two of them, "may not be trying to break that record. I, however, intend to break that record. Even if I have to kiss a few other people before midnight on Christmas Eve."

"Kiss other people?" Emma asked, furrowing her brow.

"If looks could kill," Charming said, tossing his head back with a laugh before wrapping his arms around Snow's waist. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "You're the only person I plan on kissing under the mistletoe this year."

"Good," Snow said, leaning her head against his shoulder and smiling up at him. "You're the only person I plan on meeting under the mistletoe this year too."

Killian walked over to Emma and leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry, Swan. I'm only teasing. You're the only person I plan on kissing this year."

"Good," Emma replied smugly.


	7. My Only Wish (This Year)

**A/N: **Another day closer to Christmas and another story in our countdown!

Today's story is inspired by My Only Wish (This Year) as performed by Britney Spears. I know this story sounds like it's leading up to somewhere steamy, but this was where the muse decided to end this little tale.

Grammarly was my beta, so all other mistakes are my own.

Love always,  
~starr

* * *

Killian looked around the living room. Everything was perfect and in place. All he needed to do was finish getting himself ready and wait for Emma to come home. That was when he glanced at the roll of red ribbon lying on the arm of the couch across from him. Maybe he should have thought this through a little more because it would be difficult to tie a bow with one hand.

Sighing, he shook his head and took to removing his clothing. He was only giving her one chance to see him like this because there was no bloody way in hell that he would ever lie wrapped up in a big red bow under the Christmas tree ever again.

The idea had come to him when he heard her singing an unfamiliar Christmas song while she was in the kitchen cooking dinner the other night. When he asked her about it, she had just shrugged it off as a catchy song that she had heard on the radio. It didn't really seem to mean anything more than that. However, when Killian had taken the time to look up the words on the Google that Emma was insistent upon him using, he found great amusement at the lyrics to the verse.

He glanced up at the clock and realized that she'd be home soon. He needed to focus and get to work on tying this bow. However, he was going to accomplish that. He made quick work of the rest of his clothing, shoving the pile under the coffee table with his foot so that it was out of sight.

Pulling the ribbon around his waist, he set to carefully tying the bow around his waist. He grimaced as he brazed his upper thigh with the point of his hook.

"That was close," he grumbled under his breath as he continued the process of tying the bow. This was one of his less than intelligent ideas, but hopefully, Emma would enjoy his attempt at making her smile in such a silly way.

Glancing down at the bow he had tied, Killian let out the breath he had been holding. It wasn't the prettiest bow, but the package hidden inside made her smile regularly, so he wasn't worried if she would like her gift.

He spotted the remote to the speaker out of the corner of his eye on the end table and snatched it up, flipping the speaker on and turning a particular song on the radio.

"Don't worry, Emma," Killian mumbled to himself as he lowered himself onto the floor under the Christmas tree. "Santa got your letter, and your gift wrapped in the big red bow is ready and waiting for you. That's for sure."

As he settled himself into position, he heard the jingling of her keys at the front door. Perfect timing.


	8. Christmas Cookies

**A/N: **Happy Friday! I'm back with today's story for you all to read! Thanks for all the love you've been giving these stories. I really appreciate it.

Day 8's story is inspired by Christmas Cookies as performed by George Strait! Hopefully you enjoy this tale!

Love always,  
~starr

* * *

Emma worked her way around the kitchen gathering the ingredients she would need to make the snack for a cold winter's evening, hot cocoa and Christmas cookies. Sugar cookies to be more specific, she mused to herself as she reached for the canister of sugar on the counter. She smiled coyly to herself and set to work, mixing the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Distracting herself in her cooking, Emma continued dancing around the kitchen to the music playing in her head as the mixer worked its magic on the cookie dough. Soon enough, the dough would be ready to roll out and cut the shapes of cookies that she wanted. Hopefully, Henry would be home from school in time to help her with that part. It was his favorite part, after all.

This year would be special because it was the first Christmas she and Killian would be spending together in this house, and she was pretty confident that it would be his first-time eating Christmas cookies that were homemade with love. She smiled coyly to herself as she added the last of the ingredients into the mixer and took a step back to allow it to mix.

"What smells so good, love?" Killian asked, walking into the kitchen, right up to her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed her cheek softly and smiled as he pulled away while she turned to look at him.

"Sugar cookies," Emma replied, kissing him once more before pulling away from him to turn around and lean up against the counter.

"My favorite," Killian mused, stepping forward to wrap her up in his arms once more.

"I thought you've never had Christmas cookies before," Emma grumbled, tilting her head back and glancing up at him through her lashes.

"I never said that," he said, kissing the top of her head and taking a step back, dropping his arms from around her waist. "I said there were certain kinds of Christmas cookies I've never had, but sugar cookies are my favorite. Especially when they are fresh out of the oven."

"Without icing?" Emma asked, grimacing as she shook her head. "They can't get iced while they're still hot."

"But they taste so good when they are fresh out of the oven," Killian hummed, rubbing his hand on his stomach as he thought about the delicious taste of fresh cookies. He glanced over her shoulder at the dough in the mixer. "So, about how long until they are ready?"

"As soon as Henry gets home from school, we can roll them out and start cutting shapes. Would you like to help?" Emma asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she waited for an answer.

"I'd love to," Killian chuckled, leaning in to kiss her once more. "As long as I get first dibs on some when they come out of the oven."

"Two," Emma replied. "You can have two fresh out. The rest are getting decorated as sugar cookies are supposed to be."


	9. Last Christmas

**A/N:** I'm back with the next chapter in the conglomeration of Christmas inspired tales. Today's story is inspired by Last Christmas as performed by Wham!. Now I know there are a lot of versions that I could have chosen to inspire this piece, but this one happens to be my favorite.

Grammarly was the beta and we've got three more stories to go!

Love always,  
~starr

* * *

"Never again," Emma grumbled, pulling up a seat at the bar inside The Rabbit Hole. Regina was seated on one side of her and Snow on the other. Each of them with concerned looks upon their faces. Emma turned to each of them and pointed a finger in their faces. "Never again, you hear me?"

"Yes, Emma. We hear you," Snow reassured her, wrapping a hand around Emma's finger and lowering it from her face. With a half-hearted smile, she tilted her head to the side. "But what happened with you and Neal? Everything seemed to be going so well with the two of you."

"I don't want to talk about him," Emma hissed, glaring at Snow out of the corner of her eye as she flagged down the bartender. "Two tequila shots and an Old Fashion. Keep the Old Fashions coming."

"Bad day, Swan?" Liam, the bartender, asked, raising a brow with a smirk on his face. "I'll start you a tab. Can I get either of you anything?" Liam looked between Snow and Regina.

"I'll take a glass of Merlot," Regina replied, smiling. "Thank you, Liam."

"A Moscato would be delightful. Thank you," Snow chirped, glancing up at Liam with a smile on her face.

"Coming right up, ladies," Liam replied with a wink. "Try not to get yourself in too much trouble tonight, Swan."

Emma rolled her eyes and propped her head up on the bar with her elbows, cradling her face in her hands. Inhaling sharply, she closed her eyes and held her breath for a few moments. She slowly released the breath she was holding and lifted her head from her hands. Out of the corners of her eyes, she noticed Regina and Snow staring at her. Each of them with a frown on their face.

As much as she didn't want to talk about what had happened tonight, she knew that she'd have to tell them eventually. Not to mention, she'd instead tell them while she was sober enough to understand what she was saying rather than rambling drunkenly later. Just as she opened her mouth to explain what was going on, Liam had returned, placing their drinks in front of them.

"Here you go, ladies. I'm just about to go off duty for the night, but I've left instructions with my brother who's about to take over the bar. You just might have to remind him when you are ready for more," Liam said, flashing his pearly whites as he leaned up on the bar. "And don't worry about the tab. It's on me tonight."

"You don't have to do that," the three women replied in unison.

"I know I don't, but it's the holiday season, and something's got you rather upset," Liam said, placing a gentle hand on Emma's arm. "It's the least I can do."

"Thanks, Liam. Merry Christmas," Emma whispered, a smile pulling at the corner of her lips.

"Merry Christmas," Liam replied, nodding his head and walked toward the other end of the bar.

Emma looked down at the drinks in front of her. Deciding that some liquid courage was going to be needed to talk about what had happened between her and Neal, she reached for the tequila shots and lifted the first one to her lips. Tilting her head back, she downed the first shot in record time before reaching for the second. The tequila burned it's way down her throat as she grimaced at the taste.

Leaning back on her stool, Emma hung her head as she mustered up the courage to tell her friends what had happened today. "Neal and I broke up today."

"What happened?" Snow asked, placing a hand on Emma's shoulder.

"Well, he might not realize that we broke up, but based on what I saw him doing with Tink earlier tonight, the future I thought I had with him was just a fantasy," Emma replied, rolling her eyes as she reached for the Old Fashion sitting on the bar. Lifting it to her lips, she tilted her head back, taking a sip.

"You've got to be kidding me," Regina said, rolling her eyes as she took a sip of her wine. "I always had a sneaking suspicion he was an ass, but I never expected him to do something stupid like that."

"I'm the idiot who put my heart out there on a guy who wasn't right for me or felt the same way about me that I felt about him," Emma sighed, leaning forward and resting her head against the bar.

"You aren't an idiot," Snow insisted, rubbing her hand in small circles in the middle of Emma's back. She looked over at Regina with a panicked look on her face and was met with a shrug and a frown. "He's the idiot for doing something so stupid and throwing away the best woman he has ever met and will ever meet."

"Sorry to interrupt," a voice interrupted.

Emma's head snapped up, and her eyes met a pair of icy blue ones looking down at her. A chill ran through her spine as she straightened herself up on the stool. She looked at him for a few moments and tilted her head to the side. He looked an awful lot like Liam and sounded like him as well, but there was something about him that caught her eye. Those eyes were piercing, and it felt like he was reading her mind as he stood there looking at her.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation or overhear what you were saying, but I was on my way over to check on your drinks when I heard you discussing your situation," he added, extending a hand to her. "I'm Killian Jones, and you?"

"Emma Swan," she replied, shaking his hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry if we were discussing things too loud."

"Oh no," he insisted. "Not at all. So you're Emma Swan. I've heard stories about you."

"You have?" Emma asked, raising a brow in curiosity as she leaned forward on her forearms against the bar.

Regina and Snow's eyes met over Emma's back, and they both smiled. This may have been exactly what Emma needed tonight, especially with it being Christmas Eve and the fact that all of them thought Neal was going to propose to Emma this year.

Slowly, Regina slid off her stool and motioned for Snow to follow suit. Snow looked at her and then back at Emma for a brief moment. The smile on Emma's face was all the confirmation that Snow needed to leave her sitting at the bar all alone. Something told her that the bartender was going to do an excellent job at keeping Emma company for a little while.

Things were starting to look up this Christmas for Emma Swan. All thanks to the shift change at The Rabbit Hole that evening.


	10. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

**A/N:** What's a Christmas collection without a tinsy bit of angst involved? I promise though, it's only a little bit of angst with a very happy ending.

Today's story was inspired by Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) as performed by Death Cab for Cuties. I fall in love with this song every single time that I hear it playing on the radio and it plays a crucial role in one of my favorite Christmas movies, The Mistletones. If you choose to leave a comment/review on this story, let me know your favorite Christmas movie. My ultimate favorite is How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jim Carey.

Love always,  
~starr

* * *

Emma stood at the edge of the docks and sighed. Killian had promised that he'd be home in time for Christmas, and yet here she was standing on the docks waiting to see his ship on the horizon. This wasn't fair.

She should be curled up at home in front of the fire with hot cocoa and a random holiday movie playing in the background as she drifted off to sleep in the arms of her beloved. As the movie droned on in the background, she would be able to hear Killian start to snore as he drifted off as well. It would be the perfect way to spend the evening.

However, here she was in the cold looking for a ship that may not return home tonight. During their last phone conversation, he wasn't entirely sure when he was going to be back. Killian swore that he would do everything he could to be home, but Liam was determined to make this trip, and it couldn't wait until after the holidays.

"Damn it, Liam," Emma grumbled under her breath and turned away the horizon. Standing here, pouting wasn't going to do her any good. She might as well head back into town and get ready for the annual tree lighting ceremony. At least then, she'd be surrounded by family and friends instead of freezing alone at the docks.

Emma walked home with her head hung low in frustration with the whole ordeal. As she opened the door of the house, she shivered as the warmth from inside flooded past her to reach the cold outdoors. She shook her head and quickly closed the door behind her.

It took her all of ten minutes to gather her belongings and be on her way back out the door. As she made her way into town, she could hear the church bells ringing to announce that the ceremony would be starting soon. That meant she needed to get a move on.

Hurrying her pace, she heard the choir singing in the distance. The tradition of singing Deck the Halls as the star was hoisted to the top of the tree was something that Emma looked forward to every year. However, it was something that she desperately wanted to share with Killian. Unfortunately, he wasn't here.

Emma hung her head as she continued on her trek. Once she arrived in the center of town, she started searching for Snow, Charming, Regina, and Henry. Off in the distance, she noticed them gathered around in a circle. Puzzled by the way they were standing, Emma furrowed her brow and made her way over.

As she neared them, she realized that they were standing around someone, but she couldn't determine who it was. Once she got closer, she caught a glimpse of who it was and took off full speed towards their circle.

Snow turned around when she heard the sound of snow crunching from behind her and elbowed Charming to move out of the way. They both took a giant step back, revealing Killian standing in the middle of the circle.

When Emma barged into the middle of the circle, she wrapped her arms around his neck as his arms found purchase against the small of her back. "You came home," she mumbled into his neck.

"I'd never dream of missing our first Christmas together, Swan. I know how important it is to you," Killian replied, kissing her cheek softly.

Emma leaned back and captured his lips with hers, kissing him deeply. The snow that had been lingering around started to fall gracefully and coat the ground. A white Christmas with the love of her life and her family was exactly what she needed right now.


	11. 4 Carats

**A/N:** Hello loves! I'm back with the second to last story in this little collection and I am blown away by the kindness and love that I have received from the readers of this tale. Guests reviews included because I have been on the negative end of a few guest reviews in the past, so color me surprised when I received gues reviews and didn't wince away from the screen to see someone whining that I didn't write the story the way that they would have.

Today's story is inspired by 4 Carats as performed by Kelly Clarkson.

I hope you enjoy today's tale and you've finished your shopping and can breathe a sigh of relief for a few hours as the holiday grows closer!

Love always,  
~starr

* * *

Emma curled up under a blanket on the couch in front of the fire. She glanced out the window and watched the snow falling heavily. It looked like someone had put Storybrooke in a snowglobe and shook it rapidly, causing the snow to flurry around the city continuously. It was a peaceful sight to see through the window. She, however, was delighted to be hidden away inside as the snow fell.

She hoped that Killian made it back to the Marina safely after he had left her apartment. As much as she loved spending time with him, she loved having her time to herself. However, he had left her pondering a question about what she wanted for Christmas.

When he asked her what she wanted, she noticed that he had a sparkle in his eyes that told her he was already up to something. With a sigh, she shook her head and lifted her mug of hot cocoa to her lips. She took a deep and moaned softly at the taste.

What did she want for Christmas? Killian had chosen to word the question a tad more on the childish side, but the gist of his question just that. She honestly had no idea what to tell him. They hadn't been together long enough to ask for something shiny, and a few carats large like the song that was playing on her stereo was suggesting.

She'd have to save that one for Santa Claus this year. Chuckling softly to herself, Emma slid slouched down into the couch and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. She rested her head back against the pillow that was lying behind her as she continued to think about her Christmas wishes.

Part of her thought about just telling him to surprise her, but that could be a precarious move. She could end up with a matching boat in the Marina that she didn't exactly need at this point in her life. She'd rather just share Killian's ship as a place to get away, just the two of them where they could be alone, and no one could bother them on their date nights.

As she thought about what she wanted from Killian, she realized that she didn't have an idea of what to give Killian this year. Worrying her lip, she stared at the Christmas tree they had set up in the corner of the living room. Having Killian and Henry here to help her decorate for the upcoming holiday was the best part of her day today. It was sad when they both left, but it was the weekend that Henry frequently stayed with Regina, so it was guaranteed that she was going to be left alone for the night.

She thought about it for a few more seconds and then grabbed for her phone on the coffee table. Opening her web browser, Emma decided to do so, searching for a place that could make her a spare key. Since she loved having Killian here, she thought it might be nice if he could come and go as he pleased. Not to mention, it probably got cold sleeping on the ship every single night.

At least if he was staying here, she had a fireplace that he could curl up in front of with her cuddled up in his arms as they watched the snow flutter outside and waited for Santa to make his appearance down the chimney.

Even if she didn't get something shiny this Christmas, at least she'd be giving a bright new key away this year.


	12. That's Christmas to Me

**A/N: **Thanks for following along with this fun little tale and I hope you've enjoyed the stories as I've released them. Regardless of what holiday you celebrate this time of year, I hope that all goes smoothly and everyone gets what they need out of this season. There are many reasons why we celebrate and each of them is as unique to each of us as we are from one another.

The final story for this collection takes inspiration from my Dad and family as well as the song That's Christmas to Me as performed by Pentatonix.

My family is getting ready to celebrate this lovely Christmas Eve with a game night of our own to get us in the holiday spirit.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

Love always,  
~starr

* * *

The annual Charming-Mills-Swan-Hood-Jones family Christmas Eve extravaganza was getting ready to begin. Teams were starting to form on all corners of the room, but there seemed to be a small problem with one particular member of the family. Poor Henry was being forced to choose which team he was going to play for. He didn't want to upset anyone, so that's when he got the idea to play the emcee for the evening.

"Alright, alright. Everyone's in their teams, correct?" Henry announced, straightening up the pile of papers in his hands. "Are we ready to get the annual Christmas Eve Family Game Night started?"

A soft roar of cheers came over the group as well as a flood of laughter erupting when Baby Hope and Neal cheered for the start of the games as well. Neither of them would be very much help tonight, but at least they would be a part of the excitement until they couldn't keep their eyes open.

Henry smiled and nodded. "The first game for the evening will be Christmas Carol trivia."

Snow and Charming cheered.

"We've got this. You might as well award the points to the Charming family, Henry. The Swan-Jones and Mills-Hood families don't stand a chance," Charming said with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We'll see about that," Regina mused, narrowing her gaze at Charming and Snow. "I've been doing my research, and so has Roland."

Emma rolled her eyes and leaned back into Killian's embrace with Hope in her lap. The winning and losing aspect of these games didn't matter to her in the slightest. All that matter was the chance to spend time with her loved ones and watching how excited Roland got with the impending visit from jolly old Saint Nick. Hope and Neal were still a little bit too young to understand all the fun that was happening, but next year they would be older, and some of the games could be geared a little more towards them if Snow and Regina would be willing to agree to that possibility.

She looked around the living room and smiled happily. They had finally finished decorating this morning, and everything was in the right place. Emma could have sworn that Snow and Regina moved some of the decorations about fifteen times before they settled on a final home for where that decoration belonged. In fact, she would often catch Charming or Robin moving a specific decoration just a little out of place to see the two women freak out about the misplaced ornament.

"Mom, are you ready to play?" Henry's voice called her out of her thoughts.

She nodded her head and took the piece of paper out of his hands. "Just you watch, the Swan-Jones family will surprise you with how well we play these games."

Christmas was meant to be a time where the family got together and created memories that would last a lifetime. And that was precisely what the Charming-Mills-Swan-Hood-Jones family was doing tonight. Christmas had a special meaning to everyone, and as long as they were together, everything would be alright.


End file.
